1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a strap having male and female end locking portions that can be manually secured so that the strap forms a closed loop, and handle portions that can be manually coupled in-situ to form one or more handles to facilitate manually lifting and carrying an object placed within the loop.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is necessary in many environments, to lift large, sometimes cumbersome objects manually, in the absence of machinery to perform such a task (such as a crane or forklift). Additionally, some objects, while heavy or awkward, may be too small to justify the use of a machine (such as a forklift) or are required to be moved in areas inaccessible to a machine, thus typically being left to be handled manually by a worker.
For example, in a farm environment, while many chores can be at least partially automated, much manual labor is still typically required, such as moving objects from vehicles to a storage facility or vice versa. Some objects that may typically be used in such an environment, (such as a bucket), comprise integral handles of varying types to facilitate manual handling of the object. However, many tasks about an agricultural or industrial environment may require handling bulk materials, in a box, sack, or the form of a roll or cylinder just to name a few. Bulk materials in forms such as this can quickly become unwieldy, which makes the task for a worker more difficult and more dangerous. Stooping down to ground level to pick up a sack or roll of material will almost without doubt place a worker in a position in which he or she is at an increased risk for causing a painful injury in his or her back, or other part of his or her body. Any means for improving the difficulty, comfort and safety levels of such a chore is desirable.
A number of devices for either carrying and/or bundling objects are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,234 to Coticchio et al. describes a carrying device for shopping bags consisting of “loop forming element” (10) and two handles (12, 14) having gripping portions (22 and 22′) arranged on the longitudinal ends of the strap portion. The two handles mate with each other via projections 18 and sockets 24 (FIG. 3) or a handle is inserted into a hole to form a noose around an object (FIGS. 10 and 11). The handles described by Coticchio are pre-formed, prior to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,154 to Engle describes a flexible package carrying strap having a relatively wide width, but manufactured from one piece of material. There is a single handle on the strap of Engle, pre-formed at a longitudinal end of the strap. Adjustability is provided by multiple slots at one end into which the handle end fits.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,896 to Farnworth describes a handle for attachment to a load the handle having an open slot (28) for receiving a T-bar (26). The slot (24) is provided to allow the strap portion (12) to curve when in use (FIG. 4). The handle portion of Farnworth is pre-formed, is arranged at a longitudinal end of the strap, and does not fold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,876 to Houlberg describes an injection moulded bag closure having two handle portions (3, 4) attached to bag-carrying bars (1a, 1b). The handles of Houlberg lock together (FIG. 3) by means of hook and shoulder-shaped portions (6, 7), thereby closing the mouth of the bag (which is already attached to the bag-carrying bars (1a, 1b)). The widths of the handles of Houlberg are about as wide as the entire opening of the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,019 to Kerr et al. describe an assist handle to aid a user in carrying bags (such as Coticchio, above), having sling portion (10) across which bag handles lay. Handle cut-outs (17) are formed in longitudinal ends of the sling (10). A grip (40), is used to make using the device more comfortable, and to hold the two ends of the sling (10) together.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,578 to Knudson describes a bundle tie having a rubber band loop (5) and one bar-shaped handle (3) arranged at one end of the loop (5). The handle of Knudson is a rigid bar, and the Knudson device ties by looping the handle (3) through the loop (5).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,891 to Lunsford describes a bag handle apparatus with a purpose similar to that of Kerr and Coticchio. Lunsford's device comprises a relatively wide sheet (22) to distribute the weight of a load across a user's hand. Bag handles are placed in a center portion of the sheet and the sheet is wrapped around the bag handles. The entire device acts as a cushion, and does not have any distinct handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,248 to Ryan describes a bundling handle having a strap portion (11) and grip portion (8), among other features. The handle is used in a manner much like the bundling tie of Knudson (described above), in that the device attached to itself by looping around and through itself (FIG. 4). A user lifts the device by inserting his or her hand into a pre-formed slot (17), which is arranged at a longitudinal end of the bundling handle of Ryan.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,505 to Shadoan describes a handle and strap apparatus for hand-carrying articles. Shadoan has a strap portion that can be looped around various sizes and shapes of objects. The strap portion of Shadoan is a separate piece from the rigid handle portion, and connects to the rigid handle (10), which is arranged at an end of the strap portion, by looping through openings (34, 36) therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,622 to Susman et al. describe a handle clasp for bags consisting of a strap forming a loop around bag handles to be carried, the strap having a wider, in-line handle region (20), where it is held by a user, the handle region being pre-formed, prior to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,829,613 to Sato describes a fastener, particularly for fastening stacks of material such as paper. Sato's fastener includes an elongate body with a single male portion and a mating head having a series of transverse slots for receiving the male portion. These multiple slots allow the length of the fastener to adjust to an appropriate size. Sato suggests the use of a malleable metal for his fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,179 to Rhee simply describes a tie strap without a handle, having a plurality of slots and tabs, incorporating T-slots 44, 46 and 48.
U.S. Pat. No. 487,145 to Gibbons describes a halter for a horse that includes a strap (f), a distal T-head (k) and linear slots (l) to increase of decrease the length of the strap (f).
U.S. Design Pat. No. 252,741 to Taylor is a U.S. design patent that shows a tie strap without a handle, apparently having a plurality of linear longitudinal holes and two identical angled ends. It appears as though there would be two possible manners in which to affix the ends to a longitudinal hole, if desired. The smaller, most distal protrusion could act as a temporary fixing means that is more easily removed than the triangular portion, which could act as a barb and lock the sections together.
Many people have a need for a simple and inexpensive way to handle bulky objects such as rolls of material, since even a simple roll of plastic can weigh upward of 100 lbs. Thus, a device to facilitate handling of rolls of material, or other objects, that is small and inexpensive enough to be included with a roll of material or other object, is desired.